Billfold



Patented July 9, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

the folding of said billfold when containing a substantial number of sheets, such as currency ills.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for facilitating the removal of the contents of the billfold.

Further objects of my invention will be more clearly understood from the following description and from the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a flat plan view of a blank for a billfold embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the said blank in partly folded condition and containing an improved form of insert embodied in my invention.

Fig. 3 is a flat plan view of said insert.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged top view of the said billfold in completed condition and showing the same slightly bent towards its folded position.

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of the same.

Fig. 6 is a further enlarged view in vertical section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5 showing the said billfold in expanded condition.

Fig. '7 is a flat plan view of a blank for a modified form of a billfold embodying my invention.

Fig. 8 is a front plan View of an open billfold constructed from said blank.

Fig. 9 is a flat plan view of a blank embodying a further modification of my invention.

Fig. 10 is a front view of a billfold constructed from said blank.

Fig. 11 is a fiat plan view of a blank comprising a still further modification of my invention.

Fig. 12 is a flat plan view of a modified form of an insert member.

Fig. 13 is a plan view, in horizontal section, of an expanded billfold containing the said insert.

Fig. 14 is a fiat plan view of a still further modified form of an insert member.

Fig. 15 is a plan view, in horizontal section, of a billfold in expanded condition and which embodies said member.

Fig. 16 is a flat plan view of a still further modified form of insert member.

in horizontal section, of

a billfold in expanded the said member.

As illustrated in the drawings, my invention preferably provides a billfold which may be con-' structed from a blank having an outer portion 5 and inner portions 6-6 each having a flap 1 thereon for the purposeto be hereinafter described. v

The said blank is provided at the ends of the outer portion 5 with pocket forming portions 8-8, each of which is provided with flaps 9-9 having tabs l0 adapted to be received in slits H in the portions 6-6.

In folding the said blank to provide my improved billfold, the inner portions 6-6 are folded onto the portion 5, an insert I2 is then placed between the said inner and outer portions and the flaps 7-1 are folded inwardly over the insert as clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 6.

The said insert includes a portion l3 which is creased to provide an outwardly extending bellows fold which will extend folded sides of the billfold when the said billfold is in folded position, Further, the said insert is retained in position-by the flaps 1-1 and will provide outer pockets M-l i between the said insert and the sections 6-6.

The flaps 9-9 are then folded upon the portions 8 and the latter portions are folded upon the inner portions 6-5. The tabs H] are then inserted through the slits li-ll to thus provide expandible' superimposed pockets l5 upon the inner portions 6 as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings.

If desired, the portions 8 may be cut out, as at It, to provide a window H in the said expandible pockets and the said window may be provided with a transparent sheet it which may be re tained in place by a flap 19 that is folded inwardly, over the end of said sheet, as indicated in Fig. 5.

Also, if desired, the outer portion 5 may be provided with a flap 2B, which may be folded inwardly as illustrated in Fig. 6, to provide a rounded outeredge for the billfold and to expose the grained or finished side of the blank when it is made of certain materials having a finished and an unfinished side.

When it is desired to conceal the tabs iii, a liner, not shown, may be inserted within the pockets 14-! so that said tabs will not interfere with articles placed in said pockets.

As illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings, my billfold may include a, bill compartment 2|, inner pocket I l-l4 and superimposed between the adjacent expandable pockets l-l5, and the edges of said pockets may be notched, as at 22, for easier access to the contents thereof. The central portion of the insert I2 may also be notched, as at 23, to permit bills in the compartment 21 to be readily grasped with the tips of the fingers and also a at 24 to permit the said bills to be partly ejected from said pocket by placing the tip of the thumb into the notch 24 and sliding the bills so, that they will partly project from, the top of the pocket 2| and thereby render them more readily graspable.

As illustrated in Fig. 7, portions 25-25 for the expandable pockets may extend from the lower edge of the portion 5 and inner portions 26-2'6 may extend laterally from the ends of the said portion 5. With this form of blank, the said inner portions 26 are folded onto the portion 5 and the portions 25 are then folded onto the said inner portions, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 8; theinsert l2 being retained under the flaps 7-1 of said blank in the same manner as in the form illustrated in Fig. 1. This modified form of the blank, however, provides vertical expandable pockets 25-a, as shown in Fig. 8, instead of the horizontal pockets l5 illustrated in Fig. 5.

In the modified form of billfold illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, a comparatively large pocket may be provided by the portion 21, which is folded inwardly upon the inner portion 23, and the said portion 21 is preferably provided with a plurality of tabs 29, extending from the flaps 30 thereof, so as to more securely fasten the edges of the large pocket to the inner portion 28.

As further illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, my invention may also include an expandable pocket which is secured by tabs at two adjacent sides and at another side thereof by being integral with the blank. Such a pocket may be formed by a portion 29-11 extending from the portion 5 and having the flaps 30-a and 3i. at adjacent sides thereof, with tabs 32 and 33 that lock into the slits 34 and 35 respectively in the inner portion 36.

In the further modified form illustrated in Fig. 11, the blank may be made in practically the same form as illustrated in Fig. 1 but with an additional portion 31, extending from the inner portions 6-6, which will eliminate the need of the separate insert [2 and the flaps 1-7. In the latter form, the portions 6-6 are separated by an opening 38 which is cut out of the blank to permit the bellows fold portion 39 of the portion 31 to extend between the said inner portions.

In Fig. 14 I have illustrated a modified form of an insert which consist of the regular portion 46 but which is integral with an additional portion 4|. In this form, the portion 40 is folded onto the portion 4| and inserted within a billfold that is made from a blank such as shown in Figs. 1, 7 and 9. The flaps 1-1 are then folded over the edge of the portion 40, as illustrated in Fig. 15, thereby providing a partition 4l-a, in the bill compartment 2|, which will divide the said compartment into two separate pockets. The pocket 2 l-a may be used to contain a few checks, while the other pocket 2l-b, being provided with the bellows fold 42-a, may contain a greater number of bills. It will be noted that, in this latter form of an insert, the portion 4| is notched, as at 43, to permit use of the notch 42 in the fold 42-a for the partial ejection of bills as hereinbefore described.

My invention may further be incorporated in an insert of the form illustrated in Fig. 12, wherein the insert portion 44, with the bellows fold 45 thereon, is provided with extensions 46-46. When this form of an insert is used in the billfold, the flaps I are folded over the edges of said portions 46 to form outer pockets 4'! in addition to the bill compartment 48 as illustrated in Fig. 13.

Fig. 16 illustrate a still further modification of the insert, wherein the same results may be obtained as are obtained by the form illustrated in Fig. 12. In this form, the portion 49 is provided with extensions 59-50 which are separated by a notch 5|. When mounted into the billfold, the portions 50 are folded upon the portion 49 and the flap 1-1 are folded over the upper edges of the portions 56, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 17, to form the outer pockets 52.

It will be noted that the outer pockets 41 and 52, are provided in addition to the pockets 22 without changing the form of the blank, as illustrated in Fig. 1, nor the construction of the superimposed expandable pockets l5.

From the above description it will be clearly.

understood that I have provided a billfold having a novel construction providing expandable pockets in addition to other pocket of different forms, all of which can be incorporated as desired by simply changing the particular formation of the blank for a billfold and, further, that my invention also provides a novel means, which additionally includes means for permitting easy access to and partial ejection of the contents ofsaid billfold.

It is further pointed out that myinvention provides for the formation of be folded into billfolds having a plurality of different types and shapes of pockets andwhich blanks are provided with adequate means for securely retaining them in folded condition without requiring the use of sewing, adhesiveor related means for fastening the different portions of the billfold structures.

I claim:

l. A billfold of the character described formed from a blank of flexible material including an outer portion, an inner portion having a slit therein, an extension on said blank folded upon said inner portion to provide a pocket thereon, a flap on said extension, and a tab on said flap extending inwardly under said extension and through said slit for fastening the extension to said inner portion and rendering said pocket expandable.

2. A billfold of the character described con structed from a blank of flexible material including an outer portion, an inner portion having a slit therein, an extension on said blank folded to form a pocket on said inner portion, a flap on said extension folded thereunder, and a tab on said flap extending inwardly from said flap and through said slit for fastening said extension to the inner portion and rendering said pocket expandable.

3. A billfold formed from a blank of flexible material comprising an outer portion, spaced inner portions folded upon said outer portion, and a member inserted between said inner and outer portions; said member including a portion having a bellows fold and spaced portions extending downwardly from said member and folded thereupon whereby the said member will provide one wall of a bill compartment and said portions will provide extra pockets between said wall and the inner portions, and the said bellows fold will.

blanks which can extend between said pockets upon the folding of the billfold.

4. A billfold constructed from a blank of flexible material including an extension on said blank folded to form an expandable pocket in said billfold and having means thereon for securing said extension and rendering said pocket expandable; said means including flaps on said extensions folded flat thereunder and extending inwardly therefrom, slits in said blank in register with the edges of said flaps, and tabs on said flaps extending therefrom through said slits.

5. A billfold of the character described formed from a blank of flexible material and including an outer portion, an inner portion folded upon said outer portion, an extension on said blank folded upon said inner portion, and means for securing said extension to said inner portion and thereby providing an expandable pocket; said means including a flap on said extension folded inwardly thereon and disposed between said extension and inner portion, a slit in said inner portion underlying said extension and a tab on said flap extending through said slit.

6. A billfold of the character described formed from a blank of flexible material including an outer portion, an inner portion folded on said portion,

outer portion and an extension folded upon said inner portion to form a pocket thereon; said extension having flaps folded thereunderand extending towards the center of said extension, slits in said inner portion disposed under said extension and in register with the edges of said flaps, and tabs projecting from said flaps and through said slits to provide an expandable connection between the edges of said extension and the inner portion to which it is secured.

7. In a billfold of the character described formed from a blank of flexible material, the combination of an outer wall portion, spaced inner wall portions folded upon said outer wall flaps on said spaced portions foldable between the same and the outer portion, and a member inserted between said inner and outer portions and retained therein by said flaps; said member including a portion folded thereon to provide a plurality of partitions forming pockets between said inner and outer portions, and a portion on said member having a bellows fold adapted to fold outwardly between the portions folded thereon and said inner portions upon the folding of said billfold.

JOSEPH C. DAVIO. 

